Heat absorber and its fabrication

ABSTRACT

A heat absorber is constructed to have a heat-absorber plate and a liquid cooled tube, the liquid cooled tube being curved circuitously on a common plane that is closely attached to the top surface of the heat-absorber plate, and then welded to the top surface of the heat-absorber plate. By means of the design of the liquid cooled tube, heat-transfer fluid can flow through the liquid cooled tube, and no additional sealing gasket is necessary to prevent leakage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heat absorber and more particularly,to such a heat absorber, which is practical for use in a computer. Theinvention relates also to the fabrication of such a heat absorber.

2. Description of Related Art

In a computer, the main heat-generating electronic device is the CPU. Inorder to effectively dissipate heat from the CPU of a computer, acooling apparatus shall be used.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional water-cooling type cooling apparatusfor this purpose. This structure of water-cooling type cooling apparatuscomprises a heat absorber 91, a water tank 92, and a heat sink 93. Theheat absorber 91 is adapted to absorb heat from the CPU, for enablingabsorbed heat energy to be transferred through a heat-transfer tube 94to the heat sink 93. The water tank 92 is adapted to store aheat-transfer fluid.

The aforesaid heat absorber 91, as shown in FIG. 2, is comprised of aheat-absorber plate 911, a gasket 912, and a top cover plate 913. Theheat-absorber plate 911 has a detoured fluid passageway 910 formed inthe top wall. The gasket 912 seals the detoured fluid passageway 910,preventing leakage. This structure of heat absorber is complicated.Further, the gasket 912 wears quickly with use. When the gasket 912starts to wear, the heat-transfer fluid will leaks out of the heatabsorber 91.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances inview. It is therefore the main object of the present invention toprovide a heat absorber, which is easy and inexpensive to manufactureand, which effectively prevents leakage. It is another object of thepresent invention to provide a heat absorber fabrication method, whichis practical for making an inexpensive heat absorber that preventsleakage.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the heatabsorber fabrication method comprises the steps of: a) placing a liquidcooled tube on the top surface of a heat-absorber plate, the liquidcooled tube being curved circuitously on a common plane that is closelyattached to the top surface of the heat-absorber plate; b) providing asolder to the top surface of the heat-absorber plate and the liquidcooled tube; c) heating the heat-absorber plate and the liquid cooledtube and the solder to melt the solder and to let the molten solder fillup capillary gaps in between the heat-absorber plate and the liquidcooled tube; and d) cooling down the heat-absorber plate and the liquidcooled tube to harden the solder and to let the hardened solder bebonded to the heat-absorber plate and the liquid cooled tube. Further, aheat absorber structure made according to the present inventioncomprises a heat-absorber plate, and a liquid cooled tube. Theheat-absorber plate has a top surface. The liquid cooled tube is weldedto the top surface of the heat-absorber plate, having two distal endsrespectively terminated in an inlet and an outlet Further, the liquidcooled tube is curved circuitously on a common plane that is closelyattached to the top surface of the heat-absorber plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a conventional water-cooling typecooling apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a heat accumulator according to the priorart.

FIG. 3 is a heat accumulator manufacturing flow chart according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a heat accumulator according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 is an elevational assembly view of the heat accumulator shown inFIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 3 is a heat accumulator manufacturing flow chart according to thepresent invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a heat accumulatoraccording to the present invention. FIG. 5 is an elevational assemblyview of the heat accumulator shown in FIG. 4. The fabrication of a heatabsorber is described hereinafter.

At first, place a liquid cooled tube 1 on the top surface 21 of aheat-absorber plate 2 (SA). The liquid cooled tube 1 curves circuitouslyon a common plane 11, which is closely attached to the top surface 21 ofthe heat-absorber plate 2. The liquid cooled tube 1 may be flattened bya press or the like to increase the contact area between the liquidcooled tube 1 and the top surface 21 of the heat-absorber plate 2.

Thereafter, provide to the heat-absorber plate 2 and the liquid cooledtube 1 a solder 3 that has a melting point lower than the liquid cooledtube 1 and the heat-absorber plate 2. According to the present preferredembodiment, the solder 3 is a weld rod of P/Cu. The solder 3 weld rod ofP/Cu is properly cut subject to the length of the liquid cooled tube 1,and then put on the top surface 21 of the heat-absorber plate 2 and theliquid cooled tube 1 (SB).

After the solder 3 has been put on the top surface 21 of theheat-absorber plate 2 and the liquid cooled tube 1, the heat-absorberplate 2 and the liquid cooled tube 1 with the solder 3 are put in afurnace (not shown) and then heated (SC). According to the presentpreferred embodiment, the furnace is a brazing furnace that can heat theliquid cooled tube 1, the heat-absorber plate 2 and the solder 3.Because the melting point of the solder 3 is lower than the meltingpoint of the liquid cooled tube 1 and the heat-absorber plate 2, thesolder 3 is melted at first, and the molten solder flows into capillarygaps between the top surface 21 of the heat-absorber plate 2 and theperiphery of the liquid cooled tube 1.

At final, cool down the liquid cooled tube 1 and the heat-absorber plate2, thereby causing the solder 3 to be hardened and bonded to theheat-absorber plate 2 and the liquid cooled tube 1 (SD). The desiredheat absorber is thus made. The heat absorber can be attached to asemiconductor heat-generating device, for example, a CPU 4, to absorbheat from the CPU 4.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 again, a heat absorber structure madeaccording to the aforesaid manufacturing process comprises aheat-absorber plate 2, and a liquid cooled tube 1. The heat-absorberplate 2 has a top surface 21. The liquid cooled tube 1 had a flat shapein section and welded to the top surface 21 of the heat-absorber plate 2with a solder 3. The liquid cooled tube 1 curves circuitously on acommon plane 11, which is closely attached to the top surface 21 of theheat-absorber plate 2. Further, the liquid cooled tube 1 has two distalends respectively terminated in an outlet 12 and an inlet 13.

According to the present preferred embodiment, the liquid cooled tube 1and the heat-absorber plate 2 are respectively made of copper for theadvantage of good heat conductivity, i.e., the heat-absorber plate 2 isa copper plate and, the liquid cooled tube 1 is a copper tube. Aluminumor other suitable metal may be used to make the liquid cooled tube 1 andthe heat-absorber plate 2.

As indicated above, the invention simply uses a heat-absorber plate 2and a liquid cooled tube 1 to make a heat absorber, and therefore themanufacturing cost of the heat absorber is low. Further, because theinvention uses the liquid cooled tube 1 to deliver heat-transfer fluid,no additional sealing gasket is necessary to prevent leakage.

Although the present invention has been explained in relation to itspreferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possiblemodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

1-5. (canceled)
 6. A heat absorber structure comprising: a heat-absorberplate, said heat-absorber plate having a top surface; and a liquidcooled tube welded to the top surface of said heat-absorber plate, saidliquid cooled tube being curved circuitously on a common plane that isclosely attached to the top surface of said heat-absorber plate, saidliquid cooled tube having two distal ends respectively terminated in aninlet and an outlet.
 7. The heat absorber structure as claimed in claim6, wherein said liquid cooled tube has a flat shape in section.
 8. Theheat absorber structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein saidheat-absorber plate is a copper plate.
 9. The heat absorber structure asclaimed in claim 6, wherein said liquid cooled tube is a copper tube.10. The heat absorber structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein saidliquid cooled tube is welded to the top surface of said heat-absorberplate with a weld rod of P/Cu.